Chelsea’s Reece James has confirmed that he will not be going to the World Cup with England after suffering an injury, and insiders are claiming that Arsenal’s Ben White is set to get a callup in his place.
The Blues star will be a big blow to the Three Lions, having rapidly become one of the most all-rounded RWBs in the country, but Gareth Southgate has plenty of options to choose from in his place. Instead of calling up another natural RB/RWB however, he is expected to call on the Arsenal defender instead, who can act as cover in a number of different roles for the team.
Insiders claim (via the Evening Standard) that White will be named in the final squad, which is set to be announced around 2PM local time, while Marcus Rashford and Callum Wilson are also expected to be included also.
White has been an ever-present in our campaign thus far, and a key player in helping us to keep on top of the Premier League table, and I personally believe he should have been a shoo-in for the squad even if everybody was fit. There is certain players who remain important to England who are far from in form, but White is quite the opposite.
Do you expect Ben to earn his stripes and force his way into Southgate’s first-team plans?
Patrick